


Savannah Sunset

by RedStonePrime



Category: Original Work
Genre: Africa, Animals, Conspiracy, Crime, Hyenas, Military, Savannah - Freeform, Smuggling, Terrorists, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 18:03:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18371264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedStonePrime/pseuds/RedStonePrime
Summary: years after the KTG attack, Richards close friend Szylvia is captured by unknown agents. This leads Richard to the African savannah, where he and two of his friends uncover a sinister plot, a plot which could change the fate of Africa's Eco-system forever. Will they uncover the true purpose and mastermind of this plot? Many mysteries lie before them as they explore the savannah in order to find their friend and free them from the enemies clutches.





	1. Captured

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set after the events of "Godzilla: Vengeance rising".

It was a bright, sunny morning on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan. Wind whistled as it blew past the many skyscrapers, and millions of people were simply going about their day. 

Richard Jackson and his team: William Jackson, Szylvia Gadson and Harry Lloyd, were watching the area for any suspicious activity following the infamous KTG attack five years prior. The attack which almost destroyed half of the city.

“Seems clear!” Harry told Richard as he surveyed the area.

“Thanks for the heads up, Harry!” Richard responded, calmly. He took off his jacket and was just about to throw it onto the ground when his phone rang from within one of the pockets. 

“Yes?" he asked, wondering who might be on the other end of the line. He hadn't been expecting any calls that day. "Who is this?” 

“Hello, Richard Jackson!” a voice on the other end responded in a soft yet unmistakable Japanese accent, “My name is Arakan! I am here to warn you, Richard. The KTG are still around, and they are up to something big!” 

“How are they still around?” Richard asked, worried, “I thought we killed Jeremy and Natasha?” 

“Ah, yes, you did! But you don’t see, do you?” Arakan responded, “They weren’t the only leaders, Mr Jackson! I founded the organisation myself to help with conservation and population control of different species, after all. We never wanted any creatures to go into extinction! In fact, I was the one who revealed the truth about Jeremy to Conrad Dragonus, ” 

“I guess Jeremy took things too far, then?” Richard asked, with notable anger in his voice, “He manipulated your entire team into working for him?”

“Yes, he did!” Arakan replied, “My friend Terryal will be with you shortly! Meet me at this location!” He hung up, but not before supplying Richard with a set of coordinates.

“Who was that?” William asked. 

“Arakan, founder of the KTG,” Richard replied, as he looked up the coordinates on his GPS, “Looks like he wants us to go to an abandoned foundry. But I couldn't say why”

“Probably so he can betray us like the last KTG agents did?” Harry muttered, ponderously “But I guess we could look into it... if that's what you want.”

Dismissing Harry's protests, Richard led them towards the foundry; a large building located at the south end of the city’s industrial complex. 

Entering, they found the place was entirely empty. The four of them checked the area more thoroughly, in order to ensure that it truly was deserted. 

“There’s no one here!” William told Richard.

“You’re right!” Richard responded, nervously, “Why would he send us here? This doesn't feel right!” 

“Because I told him to!” A voice called out. Richard quickly turned around and saw a young man with short, light blonde hair. He was followed by multiple armed soldiers, each carrying a variety of different weapons.

“Who are you?" Richard asked, as the soldiers surrounded them, "Are you with Arakan?"

“I am commander Terryal, second-in-command of the KTG!" the man responded, as if Richard had just asked a ridiculous question, "Arakan? He means nothing to me, now!”

“What do you want from me, Terryal?” Richard asked. 

“I don’t want anything from you, Richard," Terryal responded, pointing at Szylvia, "I want him!” . 

“Well, Terryal, you’re not laying a finger on….” William called out. He was unable to say anymore, however, as an unseen sniper shot him right in the head. William Jackson fell to the ground, dead. 

Richard could hear what sounded like the faint laugh of a hyena in the distance, but assumed it was simply one of the agents. 

Two KTG agents came up behind Szylvia and dragged him away. Richard Jackson and Harry Lloyd watched, helpless. A man, who appeared to be in his late 40s, ran up behind them.

“I tried to stop him, Richard!” The man gasped in exhaustion, “But I couldn’t make it in time. I’m Arakan, by the way!”

“Glad to see you’re on our side, Arakan!” Richard told him, though he was quite suspicious of the man, “Think you can help us find our friend?”

“I don’t need to look, Richard!", Arakan responded, "I already know where they went!” 

“Where did they go?” Harry asked, unsure of whether or not to trust him.

Arakan responded with a single word, “Africa!” 

“Africa?” Richard wondered out loud, “Why Africa? What’s in Africa that the KTG could want?” 

Arakan didn’t answer, and instead led them towards a small helicopter. He climbed into it and the others followed, after some hesitation. Once everyone was seated, the helicopter took to the sky and turned toward the horizon.

A few days later, out in the African Savannah, a clan of spotted hyenas was being tracked by a small hunting party. Each of them wore an identical uniform emblazoned with a small logo that consisted of the letters 'A.I'. 

One of the hyenas was a large female who appeared to act as the clans leader. Her body was covered in deep scars. She had seen many battles over the years. Her presence unnerved the hunters. There were something not quite right about her. In their apprehension, they did not notice the other hyenas closing in on them from all sides.

Watching the proceedings was an elderly woman, who appeared to be in her late 70s. Her hair resembled the coat of a spotted hyena and she was dressed in a safari outfit. She lay on the ground, aiming a custom-built sniper rifle, which had two magazines rather than just one, at the hunters. She shifted a small slider on the top of her rifle towards the left and fired, but the hunters did not fall down. Instead, the clan of hyenas tore the two hunters to shreds and devoured them, leaving barely a shred of evidence. 

Noticing the commotion, two rangers sprinted over to see what was happening. 

“You okay your majesty?” one of the rangers asked.

“Yeah!” the woman responded, “Just making sure these magnificent creatures don’t get killed! After all, they deserve to live just as much as any other creature on the Earth,” She reached into her pocket and grabbed a small switchblade, “And I already know what you two are doing here,”. 

One of the rangers tried to restrain the woman, but she managed to dispatch him easily by slashing him across the throat with her switchblade. Throwing the blade onto the ground, she pulled out her pistol. The second ranger followed suit, but he was not quick enough. The last thing he saw was the woman's face, smiling at him. Or had she been laughing? 

The woman heard a loud revving sound that almost sounded like a cat's purr and turned around. A heavily armoured, rally-spec Jaguar XFR-S painted in British Racing Green drove up behind her. She threw on a long-coat, which was made from the pelt of a hyena with black leather on the inside, and clambered into the back-left seat. Sitting to her right was none other than Terryal, who was carrying a large, black briefcase. Terryal opened the briefcase, which revealed two large swords. He examined the swords for any damage before closing the briefcase again and stored it in a secret compartment hidden behind the middle seat.

“Everything okay, Miss Harrison?” Terryal asked the woman, who seemed visibly distressed at what had happened earlier.

“Yes. Just making sure the hyenas don’t get killed,” Miss Harrison replied, “As you know, I am trying to protect them from bad people,” Despite her anger at the hunters, there was also noticeable guilt in her voice. 

“You mean like Richard Jacksons team?” Terryal asked, curiously, "Because I just got a report that they're coming here, and Richard won't be happy when he hears what you did,"

“Yes,” Miss Harrison replied, laughing sinisterly but still clearly horrified, "Besides, I only took out Richards' son because you warned me he would try and kill the hyenas, Terryal. I never harm people otherwise, unlike you,"

“Yes, I did warn you about them, didn’t I?” Terryal responded, “Well, miss Harrison, you needn’t worry yourself right now! We have the best army in the world, right? I'm sure they'll take care of Richard and his team and ensure they don't hinder our work!” The group drove off towards a small village.


	2. Daniella Harrison

As soon as Richards group arrived in Africa, they were greeted by a man who appeared to be in his 50s. He was wearing a black suit and carried a small briefcase in his hands. Standing next to him was a younger looking man with short, well groomed brown hair. He was wearing a similar style suit to the other man and silver-lined glasses. 

“Richard Jackson?” The older man asked, handing his briefcase over to the younger man.

“Yes, that’s me!” Richard replied, “Who are you, anyway?”

“I am the American Ambassador for international trade,” The older man responded, “This is Charles, my aid,”

“What brings you here?” Harry asked.

“We’re hoping we can arrange a trade deal with the locals here,” Charles responded in a thick British accent, “Alas, it seems the KTG have gotten here first. They’re definitely going to be a problem,”

“What are you two doing here?” A voice called out to them. The ambassador and Charles both turned around and noticed Miss Harrison strolling calmly towards them.

“Miss Lloyd? What are you doing here?” Charles asked, frightened.

“Asking you to leave,” Miss Harrison replied, coldly. 

“Yes, miss. But first, let me introduce you to Richard Jackson and his friends,” The ambassador responded.

“Very well, then. Just make it quick!” Miss Harrison told them. 

The ambassador turned towards Richard and his men, “Richard Jackson, meet Daniella Harrison. She practically owns this savannah,” he informed them.

"very true, Charles!", Daniella remarked, "Them lions? They may be king of the savannah, but as for me? Well, everyone knows that I am the queen!" 

“Nice to meet you, Daniella,” Richard said, as Charles and the ambassador walked away.

Daniella chuckled quietly, “I hope we could have made things less…. Problematic,” She sighed.

Richard soon noticed Daniella carrying a large rifle, “That gun of yours? Is it custom?” He asked.

“Yes,” Daniella replied as she showed Richard her rifle, “Built it myself based on an old XeTech design. Of course, I made my own modifications as well,”

“What are you trying to hunt, your majesty?” Arakan asked, “Lions? Hyenas? Antelope?” 

“No, no, no, you are very wrong, sir!” Daniella laughed, but with notable stress in her tone and mannerisms, “In fact, I am trying to protect the hyenas from the most dangerous killer on the Earth: mankind,” she left the area and spoke into her radio, but neither Richard, Arakan nor Harry could hear what she was saying.

“Something's troubling you, isn’t it?” Harry asked Richard, who was shaking with fear.

“Yes, Harry,” Richard replied, his eyes filling with tears, “That rifle? It’s the same calibre that William was killed with. I think Daniella is working with the KTG. As to why, I cannot say,”

“She did say she wanted to protect the hyenas. Could that be why?” Harry wondered.

“Maybe,” Richard responded, “People have been known to do some very horrific things with good intentions, after all,”

“I noticed something to,” Arakan added, “A large hyena watching us from the shadows, the one the locals here call ‘The Savannah Slayer’! I can tell it’s her by the scars that cover its body, like a wounded soldier after multiple battles,” 

Both Harry and Richard’s jaws dropped at what they just heard, their eyes were widened with horror. 

“I’ve heard the stories,” Richard told Arakan, “Apparently she killed over 60 people in one night. Most hyenas I know of aren’t that aggressive, but her? She is a veritable killing machine!” 

“Wait, her?” Harry asked, trying to understand what was going on.

“Yes,” Arakan responded, as if starting a lecture, “When it comes to spotted hyenas, the clans are ruled by a female rather than a male. It’s one of the reasons why they’re such successful predators in the savannah,”

“That, and the fact that their jaws are powerful enough to crush bone,” Richard added, “around 1,100 psi, to be exact,” 

The three headed into the savannah, keeping an eye out for any danger. Richard ordered his men to stop, and listened to two voices in the distance.

“I don’t care about your clan, Daniella! I care about finishing the job!” one of the voices called out. Richard recognised the voice at once: It was none other than Terryal. 

“If you made the deal, you would know that I command my clan, NOT YOU!” Daniella responded, furiously. She was so enraged that she had to stop a clan of hyenas from attacking Terryal, who was now holding one of his swords against Daniellas' throat.

“These guys sure don’t mess around,” Harry noted, “Think we should check it out?”

The trio approached Daniella and Terryal, who were both shocked to see them. Standing behind Daniella was the Savannah Slayer, who appeared to be acting mostly calm. 

“You three shouldn’t be here,” Daniella told them, “No-one is welcome here,”

“Really? Perhaps I missed the sign on your door,” Arakan responded sarcastically. 

Suddenly, around twenty hyenas surrounded the group, thus ensuring that there was no escape. Daniella pulled out her switchblade and placed it against Richards throat. 

“You better think of something, fast!” Harry suggested to both Richard and Arakan, who appeared to be looking for a way out. 

Thinking quickly, Arakan threw off his jacket and grabbed a small rod from his belt. He held the rod towards the head of one of the hyenas and pressed a button. The rod extended into a large, double-ended spear which impaled the hyena through its skull. 

Daniella tried to attack Richard in a fit of rage. Richard was quick to disarm her, however, and the trio ran towards an abandoned Jeep. 

“You’re driving!” Richard told Harry, who jumped into the driver's seat and drove off with Richard and Arakan in the back. Terryal and his men followed in their modified Jaguar XFR-S. A chase ensued throughout the savannah. Harry had to move fast in order to avoid hitting any animals. Terryal, on the other hand, resorted to simply ramming them with his car. 

Harry, Richard and Arakan all looked around as they heard the sound of another engine and, without warning, a large black Harley Davidson motorcycle with hyena themed chrome-work appeared to jump over them from out of nowhere. On either side of the bikes fuel tank was an airbrushed image of a hyenas head. The motorcycle landed, and the trio could now see that riding it was none other than Daniella Harrison. 

“Either this woman is very crazy, or she’s very skilled!” Harry called out in disbelief.

“I would say the latter!” Arakan responded.

“Well, why don’t we have guys like this on our side? Why do the KTG always get the cool stuff?” Harry shouted, trying to work his head around what was happening. 

Daniella drifted her bike around to face Richards car and pursued them, with the hyenas following. 

The chase continued through the village, with Harry reacting quickly in order to avoid people, animals and other obstacles. Terryal, on the other hand, was causing chaos in the village as he crashed through buildings and knocked over pedestrians who got in his way. 

Daniella and the hyenas followed behind Terryal, with Daniella trying to make sure not to hit any locals. She pulled out her pistol and was just about to fire at Richard Jackson when a gloss-black Bentley Continental Supersports seemed to appear out of thin air and crashed into her bike, knocking her down. 

Terryal decided to pull of the pursuit and headed back into the Savannah. Daniella got back onto her bike a followed him, signalling the hyenas to go back to their territory. 

Richard and his group ran towards the Bentley, which was stopped in the middle of the village. The doors of the Bentley opened and both the ambassador and Charles stepped out, both of them dripping with sweat. 

“We got here as fast as we could!” Charles gasped, as he ran towards Richard and his team.

“What are you doing here?” Richard asked, “I thought you were negotiating a deal,”

“We’re working on that,” The ambassador replied, “But we have bigger problems to worry about,”

“Like what?” Arakan wondered out loud.

“There’s a court trial happening tonight,” Charles responded, “It seem you’ve been accused of some horrific crimes. Come to the courthouse tonight, I will be your defence lawyer,”

“Thanks for your assistance, Charles,” Richard thanked him, as Charles and the Ambassador walked back towards their Bentley.


	3. The trial

The trio arrived at a large court house. The building had over 50 stories, the top one of which Richard assumed to be the ambassadors temporary office. 

“Let’s go inside,” Harry told them, “We need to know what is going on,” The other two agreed and followed him inside. Once they entered the main courtroom, they found that the place was almost entirely packed with people, most of which were government official. 

“We must be in some serious trouble if they’re here,” Arakan noted, “Who brings this many agents to a hearing, anyway?”

Neither Richard nor Harry had any time to answer as the judge started the hearing. 

“Nathaniel Lloyd has accused Richard Jackson of murder and animal cruelty. Richard Jackson, do you have anything to say about these claims?” The judge inquired, as Charles entered the room.

“I don’t think he is guilty, your honour!” Charles replied, “He is an honest man and never attacks people without reason,” He handed a file over to the judge, who started to read through it. 

“Do you believe he is trying to protect the people and wildlife of this country?” The judge asked, glancing between the file and Charles. 

“I do, your honour!” Charles replied. He walked up to the judge, who handed the file back too him.

“Do you, now, Charles?” A voice asked mockingly from behind them, “Is that what you honestly believe after everything we’ve worked together on?” 

Richard, Harry, Arakan and Charles all turned around to see Daniella strolling calmly towards them, She was followed by an entire clan of hyenas, one of which was the Savannah Slayer. The people attending the hearing backed away, as if they were about to be attacked by a vicious beast.

“We definitely are in serious trouble!” Harry called out quietly as he heard the sound of a large military helicopter flying overhead, “No-one told me the KTG would be involved in this trial!”

“I agree,” Richard responded, “Something is not right here,” 

“I’m going to see the ambassador. This is NOT how I intended this to go,” Charles informed them as he entered an elevator. 

“These people are about to see our future, your honour! A future where man and hyena can live together in perfect harmony, with no struggles of any kind,” Daniella told the judge as she aimed her rifle at her and fired, “But I’m afraid you are not going to see it happen, your honour! As for you, Richard. I think you’ve chosen the wrong lawyer!”

The hyenas charged towards the judge, but Harry managed to get her out of the way. A gunfight ensued within the courtroom, with citizens who were attending the hearing attempting to get to cover. 

Daniella ran from the courtroom, but Harry, Richard and Arakan pursued her. She shot two security guards with her pistol as she ran past them. She ran out of the entrance, where two men, both of whom were wearing dark suits, were waiting for her. One of the men was carrying a large case that looked as though it was designed to hold a rifle. The other man was simply standing there with his hands behind his back.  
Both of these men were wearing name tags, one of which read “Jones”, whereas the other read “Franklin”. Franklin was the more muscular of the two. He had a large, grey beard and wore black shades. The other man, Jones, was a lot slimmer and wore spectacles. The two of them both had shaven, grey hair. 

Inside the ambassador's office, The Ambassador and Charles were watching the events that were unfolding on a large screen in front of them. 

“What is going on Charles? Why is she here?” The ambassador asked, demanding answers. 

“I didn’t know she would be there, boss. Nor the Savannah Slayer,” Charles responded, his voice sounding almost sarcastic as if he knew he was lying but trying so hard to hide it. 

“Get the government here, NOW!” The Ambassador ordered.

“Yes, I will, sir!" Charles responded, taking his phone out of his pocket and dialling a number. He later cancelled his number and put the phone down on the table as his expression changed to one of pure sadism "However, there is Just one slight problem with that order, boss,” Charles told the ambassador coldly as he cocked his pistol, “Those people in the courtroom? They ARE the government. As! Am! I!” He swiftly turned around and shot the ambassador twice in the chest.

The ambassador fell to the floor, bleeding out from his wounds. 

"What are you doing?" The ambassador asked, with a look of sheer horror. 

"Making the future," Charles responded sadistically, "One which no longer needs you in it," 

"You're not getting away with this!" The ambassador told him, his voice now filled with rage and pain 

“Yes I am! And this time, you aren’t going to stop me from doing what’s right!” Charles remarked snidely as he shot the ambassador at point-blank range and exited the room, removing his spectacles, taking off his tie and unbuttoning his jacket as he did so. he entered the elevator and made his way down towards the ground floor. Once he reached the ground floor, he found that the entire courtroom was in complete disarray, with pieces of wood thrown everywhere and hundreds of corpses scattering the area, some of which were being feasted on by hyenas. Charles let out a quiet chuckle as he left the building. 

"When will people ever learn?" He asked himself, sarcastically 

Richard, Harry and Arakan were all walking through the village when a thought suddenly struck Harry, who was checking his cell phone.

“I know why they couldn’t kill her,” He told Richard, “The Savannah Slayer, I mean,”

“Why not?” Richard asked, as if he had just heard a legend come to life.

“Because she’s protected…. By Frederick C. Arkwright,” Harry replied, as he showed Richard and Arakan the data he had just gathered. 

“Arkwright?” Arakan gasped, “But he’s dead,” 

“He might be,” Richard responded, “But that doesn’t stop him from being involved. Who is this ‘Arkwright’, anyway?”

“Frederick Arkwright was the head of a world famous global animal smuggling cartel known as Arkwright Industries,” Harry replied, as he read the information from his phone, “He would sell dangerous animals to anyone who paid him enough so that they can be used as weapons. He has been known to deal with crime gangs, government groups and terrorist organisations,” 

"We need to get this to the ambassador," Richard suggested. Both Harry and Arakan nodded in agreement. 

They heard a familiar sound approaching them, and turned around to see the ambassadors Bentley drive up. The Bentley's doors opened, but this time only Charles stepped out, making the three of them wonder where the ambassador was. 

Charles looked to be in very bad shape as tears dripped down his face. He held his head in his hands, as if he were to embarrassed to show how upset he was. 

“Charles? What are you doing here?” Richard asked, “Where’s the ambassador?”

“The ambassador’s dead, Richard” Charles replied. His tone of voice was different, however. Almost as if he was hiding something, “He was murdered in his own office. I tried to help him, but it was too late! I couldn't do anything,” 

“Well, can you make sure whoever did this is brought to justice,” Arakan reassured him, “He was a good man, after all,”

“Yes, I will do my best!” Charles responded, "However, perhaps I should start with the three who got us into this mess to begin with," 

Two guards walked up next to him. Standing on a balcony behind Charles was none other than Daniella Harrison, “After all, I am here under an investigation of the situation here,”

“Investigation?" Richard asked, confused, "I thought you were here to secure a trade deal with the locals!”

“Yes, you did, didn't you?,” Charles informed him, mockingly as he pointed his pistol at Harry, who was now slumped to the floor with both of the bodyguards restraining him, “Just like most people believed I was dead!” 

“Arkwright,” Harry gasped with realization, “Frederick Charles Arkwright,”

“That’s right, Harry,” Charles responded, “And real soon, all of these animals will be sold to military organisations all across the globe!” 

“So, you rigged that trial?” Arakan inquired furiously, “It was you who let Daniella into that courtroom in the first place! And now you’re going to sell these hyenas to dangerous people? Why?”

Charles said nothing and instead simply glanced back at Daniella, as if giving her a signal. Daniella seemed to acknowledge this signal and fired her rifle at Richard. 

A small, purple dart struck Richard on the shoulder. Richard, currently assuming that the dart was poisoned, wondered why he wasn’t dead yet. He found his answer soon enough, however, as a pack of hyenas charged straight at him. He managed to avoid them, however, and he and is team ran towards one of the buildings in the village. 

Charles marched back towards his car, climbed in and slammed the door with anger. Daniella got onto her motorbike whilst the guards clambered into the XFR-S, which started with a deafening rev. They drove towards the barren savannah, in the direction which lead right towards the hyenas den. 

Inside one of the buildings of the village, Harry set up his computer, which was a small, black laptop with an external hard drive attached to it via the USB port. Knowing that there was no electricity or internet connection, he had to improvise and thus made a makeshift power plant and radio antennae out of scraps that he had found lying around. He switched his computer on and opened up his web browser, which displayed a very vibrant home screen. 

“What are you doing?” Arakan wonder, as Harry inputted what appeared to be codes onto his computer. A web-page with a screen that read “CLASSIFIED INFORMATION! AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY!” appeared on screen. Harry easily bypassed this without having to input a password however, and then looked in Arakans' direction.

“Hacking into the KTGs' files,” Harry responded, as he focused back on his computer, “Something big is going on here, and we need to know three things: Who, What and Why,” He opened up a file which read “Project: Hyena”. As soon as he opened it, he saw a bunch of letters which at first he thought were codes, but then he realised: they were names. One of the names was simply two initials: DH. 

“DH, Daniella Harrison,” Richard exclaimed with realisation, “Can you get files on her, please?”

“No, sir,” Harry replied, as he tried searching, “Her name doesn’t exist in the human archives,”

“If she’s not in the human archives, then how come we…” Richard responded. He paused suddenly as the truth was starting to make sense to him, “Harry?”

“Yes, sir?” Harry asked, as he opened up another web-page.

“”Can you search for ‘Daniella Harrison: Hyena’” Richard requested. Harry acknowledged this request, and sure enough a large image of a hyena was displayed on the screen. A hyena which the three of them instantly recognised. 

“Why is it showing me a picture of the Savannah Slayer?” Harry wondered out loud, “I wanted Daniella Har….” He was cut off by Richard Jackson.

“Because Daniella Harrison is the Savannah Slayer,” Richard added, “Or, as the locals call her, Mwuaji Wa Savannah. Arkwright is planning on selling hyenas to the military, and he needed her to train them. That woman may have Daniellas' mind, but it isn’t her body. I think she was involved in the same experiment as Conrad Dragonus,”

Harry quickly shut his computer down in order to ensure that the KTG weren’t tracking them, but the trio remained in the building.


	4. The Savannah Slayer

A few moments had passed since the trio had discovered the truth about Daniella. Richard was checking out of the window, making sure there were no KTG agents about. 

“Arakan, I have a question to ask you,” He told Arakan.

“What do you need, Richard?” Arakan responded, politely. 

“Those two men who were with Arkwright? Who were they?” Richard asked.

Arakan took a deep sigh and replied, “Those men are Franklin and Jones. They are professional mercenaries, only work for whomever’s paying them the most. Mostly government agencies, as they generally have a decent reputation,” 

“Richard? Arakan? I’ve got something to show you!” Harry told them, as he signalled for the two to follow him into another room. 

The room was mostly empty except for a large, metal cage. Inside this cage was a young spotted hyena, which seemed to be in pain. 

“What happened?” Arakan asked with concern.

“When we were at Daniella's den, I found this animal lying nearby,” Harry replied, as he picked up a round from a table nearby, “He’d been shot by someone, and I had to rescue him,” He reached his hand out to pet the hyena, which seemed to act calm around him. “I’m guessing this is Terryal’s work. He always seems to be a bit too eager to kill something,” 

Meanwhile, out in the savannah, Daniella and her two guards were standing by the hyena den. Charles, meanwhile, had decided to travel elsewhere.

Daniella checked on the status of the hyenas, making sure they were all healthy and unharmed. She was just about to head back when her phone rang. She picked it up from inside her pocket and answered. 

“What do you want, Charles?” She called. 

“I want to know when I get my pay, Daniella,” Charles informed her, “When is it coming? I already have multiple buyers lining up, and they sure seem like they want to kill me right now!” 

“You get your pay when I get what I want, Charles!” Daniella responded, frustratedly. She was so annoyed that she almost threw her phone too the ground, “And what I want is to ensure that these creatures go unharmed. I want perfect harmony between the hyenas and the humans. I want a world of peace between all species, without your warfare!” 

“Well, in that case, Miss Harrison,” Charles informed her, “I guess our deal is no more!” he hung up on her. 

Daniella dropped her phone to the ground. She did not do this because she was annoyed, but because she was afraid. 

She looked in all directions and saw nothing but hyena corpses scattered around the area. She tried to get one too respond to her, but to no avail. She found another one of the hyenas was still alive, but just barely. She pulled out her pistol and shot it through the heart in order to end its suffering, an act which she didn’t want to do but thought was necessary. 

“I’m going to find whomever’s behind this, and I’m going to make them PAY!” She informed Franklin and Charles tearfully as though she had just witnessed a loved one being attacked, "After everything the KTG and I have worked on, and this is what I get in return? I guess the deal truly is off!" 

Daniella, now filled with rage and fear, walked back to her motorbike, which roared to life as she started the engine. Her two bodyguards followed her and entered their car. The two of them drove towards a large skyscraper, which had the words “Arkwright Industries” emblazoned across the front. 

Inside the skyscraper, Charles was making a presentation. Over a thousand people from all over the world were facing a large screen, which was currently showing a video of human warfare and the tragedies that had occurred. Charles was standing in front of the screen, and looked over at the audience.

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, how many of you have lost friends or family in a war?” He asked.

Most of the audience raised their hands. A few of them were clearly in tears, holding the hands of their only remaining friends or family. 

“Well, imagine a world where we don’t have to live that life anymore,” Charles continued, “A life where we can have these creatures fight our wars for us. Man and hyena serving together, in the future of warfare! A future with! No! Casualties!” He flicked a switch, and an area behind him lit up revealing a large cage. Inside this cage was a large hyena, the Savannah Slayer. Charles was just about to continue his presentation when Richard, Arakan and Harry stormed into the room.

“Ahh, friends! It’s so good to see you again!” Charles said sarcastically. 

“Enough with the sarcasm, Arkwright!” Richard responded, annoyed, as he punched Charles hard across the face, “We want to know what is going on here!” he demanded, furiously, “Who are you working for? Who’s paying you?”

Charles wiped sweat off his brow, “A few years back, me and the KTG made a deal,” He informed them, “If I give the military, as in every military and terrorist organisation on the globe, some of these animals to use as soldiers, they’ll give me a reward. I’ll be far richer than either of you guys, just remember that!” 

Richard glared at him angrily. 

“I shot half of Daniellas' clan earlier, and I thought I killed them all!” Charles continued, raising his voice in annoyance, “But it turns out I was wrong! You saved one of them, Harry! Betraying your own allies, just like you always do!” 

Harry’s jaw dropped at what he had just heard. “How do you know this?” he asked, tears dripping from his face as he trembled in horror, “I thought that building was abandoned!” 

Arakan, meanwhile, glanced at a balcony behind them. Standing on top of the balcony was Daniella Harrison, who was aiming her rifle at Charles, her face filled with a mix of rage and guilt.

"What have you done, Arkwright?" She asked herself, quietly, "I thought we had a deal!"

“I know because the entire building you were in was bugged!” Charles replied, still shouting, “Or rather, that hyena cub you saved was. Did you really think the KTG weren’t keeping tabs on you guys? Besides, Imagine what this will mean for our future, Richard! For the future of warfare!”

Richard pushed Charles into a wall in a fit of rage. “You son of a bitch, Arkwright!” He yelled, “You planned this all along, didn't you? And I thought this was all business, when it was really about the money, wasn't it? And I guess you also killed the ambassador, as well? The one person who trusted you?”

Charles aimed his pistol at Richard, "You're quite right Richard," He responded, coldly, "But alas, Everyone needs to make a living somehow. It's just a matter of how you make a living," 

He was about to fire, bu t Richard managed to knock the gun out of his hand with ease. Enraged, Charles opened the Savannah Slayers cage, releasing the animal which promptly attacked everyone in the area as Richard watched in horror.

"What have you done, Charles?" Richard asked him accusingly, "You turned that animal against its own instincts, Charles! You have no idea who's really in control anymore!" 

The audience were forced to evacuate the building as a heated fight took place in the presentation room. The sound of gunfire filled the room, which had now become a battleground.

One of the guards pulled out a large knife and was about to stab Harry Lloyd in the chest, but they were quickly dispatched by one of the hyenas. Harry ducked behind a table and fired his rifle at numerous guards. 

Arkwright hid behind the presentation screen and picked up his gun. He aimed it at a hyena that was approaching him and fired, killing the animal with one shot through its head. He then left the room through an exit too his left, and entered the main hallway which was filled with very frightened guests. 

As soon as the chaos had ended, Harry, Richard and Arakan also left the room, which was now in complete disarray. They ran as fast as they could and entered their Jeep, which they had parked outside. 

Arkwright re-entered the presentation room, holding his pistol in his hand. His suit was now almost completely torn apart, only barely holding together at the seams. His hair was also a complete mess. Sweat was dripping from his face as he searched the room. 

“Mr Jackson, Come out wherever you are!” He called. There was no response.

In his other hand, he had his phone pressed firmly against his ear. “Yes, I will give you these animals once I know that I am getting my payment,” He responded to an unknown caller, “Look, I already killed half her clan after they resisted, alright? Now give me a break and let me send the remaining animals over to you!”.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the Savannah Slayer leapt in front of him and started advancing toward him.

Arkwright, believing everything was alright, put his gun back in his jacket pocket whilst still holding his phone in the other. He reached out his hand to pet the hyena, which seemed to relax for a second, as though it was being calmed down by his gestures, brushing its snout against his palm. Without warning, Arkwright let out a loud, blood-curdling scream and dropped his phone to the ground as the hyena bit his hand and tore it clean off. He scrambled backwards in horror, knocking off equipment from the desks along the way whilst grasping his wounded arm. He stopped by a large window behind him, which showed a view of the savannah and the hyena den in the distance. 

Over a dozen more hyenas approached him slowly and quietly. Arkwright, his face covered in tears, begged for his life. The hyenas didn’t seem to have the same idea, as they started to rip Arkwright apart and devoured him, leaving behind no evidence at what had just occurred. 

Up on the balcony, Daniella was watching the events unfold. She let out a soft grunt as if to say “You deserved that,” and calmly entered an elevator behind her. 

Back in the village, Richard, Harry and Arkwright were checking on the young hyena. Harry was just about to give it it’s medication when he heard someone knocking on the door. Arakan walked over to the door and opened it. Standing just outside the doorway was Daniella Harrison, who calmly entered the room as though she had just been invited for a party.

“Daniella, what are you doing here?” Richard asked, bewildered, “Last time we met, you were trying to kill us,” 

“I was back then,” Daniella responded with a small chuckle, “But since you helped my son, I figured I would return the favour,” 

“So, you’re on our side, now?” Harry wondered, as he left the room he was working in. 

“Well, not like that. After all, you guys do have a saying, right? The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Daniella informed them, “But just because we aren’t ‘Allies’, does not mean I don’t think you’re good people,” 

The Savannah Slayer entered the room and lay down next to her, acting very calm despite its violent reputation.

“I figured you know that me and the Slayer are one?” Daniella noted, “After all, despite what people say, hyenas aren’t crazy. Or stupid. But one thing’s been troubling me all this time: what brings you three here? You clearly weren’t interested in the KTGs scheme when you first arrived here,”

“We were looking for a friend,” Richard replied, wiping a tear from his eye, “His name is Szylvia Gadson. He was a member of my unit until Terryal captured him and brought him here. We only decided to investigate more after we met you. And besides, you don’t normally take a prisoner to a place like Africa unless there’s something bigger going on,”

The four of them all looked around as they heard the revving entering a village and what sounded like a helicopter hovering overhead. Franklin and Jones entered the building a grabbed Daniella by her arms. Two other guards also entered and took the Slayer and her son away. 

Outside the building was large, armoured truck. The guards threw Daniella, along with the Savannah Slayer and the young hyena inside the truck, which drove off into the distance. Franklin and Jones entered their XFR-S and started the engine.

Suddenly realising what was going on, Harry ran outside and clambered into his Jeep. He started his engine and drove towards the savannah. Franklin and Jones pursued him, with Jones at the wheel and Franklin shooting at Harry's jeep with a small pistol which seemed to be loaded with armour-piercing rounds. 

They chased each other throughout the savannah. Harry was trying his best to avoid injuring any wildlife in the area, whilst Jones drove more recklessly, almost as if he didn’t care what would happen. Jones tried to push Harry into a deep ravine, but Harry managed to avoid falling. 

The chase lasted for over 10 minutes, and Jones and Franklin were clearly getting annoyed at Harry. Franklin tried to shoot at Harry’s car, but the armour managed to deflect each shot. 

Franklin's eyes suddenly widened in terror as he realised almost too late that they were driving right into a herd of rhinoceros. Jones managed too swerve his car just in time, however, and continued the pursuit. They had almost caught up with Harry when their car suddenly clipped a small rock, causing it to lose control and flip over multiple time before ending up on it’s roof. The car was now so damaged that it looked like it had been struck by a missile. 

Harry decided to make his way over to the hyena den, intent on finding answers as to what the KTG were up to in Africa. He headed further into the lair than he had ever done before, and soon found a large skyscraper that was covered almost entirely by tall mountains and trees. Harry assumed that this was to keep the building hidden from prying eyes. He drove towards the buildings entrance and found Richard and Arakan already waiting for him just outside.


	5. Terryal

It was already getting dark by the time Harry had rendezvoused with the others. Rain was pouring down miserably and lighting flashed in the distance, followed by the low rumble of thunder. The group could just make out the faint whooping and giggling of hyenas coming from the den. 

“You guys wait here,” Arakan told Richard and Harry as he walked towards the building, “I’m going to look for Daniella,” 

Harry and Richard were left alone, wondering what they should do to help. Richard was just about to say something when Harry pressed his finger to his lips, signalling him to be quiet.

“Listen, Richard” Harry whispered, “Do you hear that?”

In the distance, the two of them could just make out a faint whining sound, almost like an animal that had been seriously injured. They walked towards the right side of the building and found a young hyena lying on the ground. It was the same hyena that Harry had saved a few weeks prior.

Harry examined the hyena, and it wasn’t long until he discovered why it was distressed. It’s left leg was almost completely fractured. Two small, yet deep scars ran across the length of its back. 

“What are you going to do, Harry?” Richard asked, as he made sure there were no KTG agents around.

“The only thing I can do, Richard,” Harry responded, a single tear running down his face, “Put him out of his misery,” He picked the hyena up in his hands and placed it down on top of a large rock, which he used as a makeshift table. 

Meanwhile, inside the building, Arakan was searching every room for any signs of Daniella's whereabouts. He didn’t have to look for long, however, as he soon found Daniella tied to a chair in a small room. He reached into one of the pockets of Daniella’s pockets and grabbed her switchblade, which he used to cut her loose. 

“Get away from her!” a voice called out from behind him. The voice was soft, almost as if the person it belonged to was about to burst into tears. 

Arakan turned around and saw Terryal slowly advancing towards him as he pointed a pistol at Terryal. 

“Why are you doing this, Nathan?” Arakan asked, “What did I ever do to you?”

“It’s not what you did, Arakan! It’s what THEY did!” Nathan retorted, as he placed his gun on a small table. He threw off his jacket, which revealed two large swords, “But they didn’t tell you, did they? It was they who killed my sister!”

“Your sister?” Arakan responded, “You mean Natasha? Natasha Lloyd?” He tried to leave the building, but Nathan managed to stop him by holding him in a choke-hold. 

Daniella tried too help, but she too was stopped by a large, brutish man who threw her against a wall. She attempted to fight back, but the guard was overpowering her with ease.  
Realising the danger the two of them were in, Arakan grabbed one of his spears and held it against Nathans leg. He activated it, which caused one side of the spear to impale Nathans leg, giving him enough time to make a getaway. Nathan grabbed both of his swords from his back and tried to attack Arakan with them. Arakan, now wielding both his spears, managed to fight back. He kicked Daniella’s switchblade towards her. 

Daniella picked up her switchblade and attacked the guard with it. She started brawling with the guard, but was still being overpowered. Soon enough, the guard was holding her to the ground and forced her to look outside, which caused numerous tears to run down her face.

Outside, Richard was holding the young hyena by the body, ensuring it didn’t try to get away.Harry, meanwhile, grabbed a large rock and held it above the hyenas head. He hesitated for a few second before swiftly bringing the rock down onto the hyenas head. In order to make sure it truly was dead, Richard grabbed a small knife and stabbed the hyena in the heart. 

A tear ran down the side of Harry's face as he slumped forwards on the ground, holding his head in his hands as he sobbed quietly to himself, realising what he'd just done. Richard patted him on the back reassuringly, his expression varying between sadness and anger. 

"This is my fault Richard," Harry muttered tearfully, "I should never have bought that hyena back, Richard," 

"No, Harry, It's not your fault," Richard reassured him, "Nobody could have known about it except...," he paused briefly as realisation dawned on him "Harry, can you check Arkwright's last contacts? I want everybody he's ever sent a phone call, text, social media message and e-mail to!" 

Harry didn't answer, and instead opened up his laptop and switched it on. Richard watched with anticipation as numbers flashed up on the screen. 

Back inside the KTG tower, Daniella, now filled with rage, managed to find enough strength to fit against the guard who was restraining her. The guard almost gained the upper hand, but Daniella managed to grab the guard and threw him out of the window, which shattered into over a million tiny pieces. The guard fell hundreds of feet to the ground below, where his remains were devoured by the hyenas that were waiting there. 

"Enjoy the meal, guys! Don't want any of it to go to waste, now, do we?" Daniella remarked to the hyenas, trying to hold in her laughter as she did so. 

Nathan and Arakan were still in the middle of their fight. Nathan tried to cut Arakan in half, but Arakan managed too disarm him. Nathan picked his pistol and aimed it Daniella.

“You are a fool, Arakan!” He called out in anger, “You try and protect nature, yet you never see the truth! Nature is trying to destroy you, Arakan! I’m the only one who can help you!” 

Daniella grabbed her pistol from her jacket and slid it across the floor to Arakan. Arakan picked up the weapon and aimed it at Terryal. 

Terryal was just about to fire his pistol at Daniella when Arakan shot him multiple times. Nathans body dropped to the ground as though it were an empty shell.

Arakan and Daniella escaped from the building and headed outside, where they met up with Richard and Harry. 

“Did you find him?” Richard asked, “Szylvia, I mean?”

Harry, meanwhile, was checking something on his computer. 

“What are you looking at?” Daniella asked with interest. 

“I’m looking up Arkwright's contracts,” Harry replied, not looking away from his computer as he did so, “If we find his last phone call, hopefully we can find whomever he was selling to,” He scrolled down until he reached the end of the page. He found a contact, but there was no name, only a number. He clicked on the number and pressed ‘Call’ and waited. 

Daniella, Harry and Richard were all staring at Arakan as he grabbed his phone out of his pocket. With his other hand, Arakan aimed a pistol at Harry. 

“What are you doing, Arakan?” Richard asked. He managed to resist pulling a gun on him, "I thought we were on the same side, here!" 

“What, I was planning on doing from the start, Richard!” Arakan responded, “making an army! An army that can end warfare, Richard! Don't you want to see that future?” he shot Harry in both legs, causing him to fall too the ground. 

“Harry!” Daniella cried out in horror as he ran toward him, “What are you doing, Arakan?” 

Arakan brushed his hair back with his one of his hands, revealing it to be a wig that he wore to conceal his bald scalp, removed his sunglasses which hid two deep gashes which ran diagonally across both eyes, and tore off one of his trouser legs to show that one of his own legs was a prosthetic. "Yeah, take a good look, Richard!" He called out mockingly, "This is what MY line of work does to you! As for those dead hyenas you found near your den, Daniella? I killed them! Every! Single! One!" 

Daniella's face turned from horror to complete disgust as she spat on the ground. "You aren't getting away with this, you monster!" she cried. Two guards walked up behind her and forced her into a large, black SUV which was unmarked. Arakan followed, forcing Harry and Richard into the SUV whilst he entered the passenger's seat. He signalled for his driver to start the engine, and they drove off towards an unknown location. 

“Who is the guy working for?” Daniella asked quietly so that Arakan couldn’t hear. 

“I know exactly who he’s working for,” Richard replied, “The KTG. The very guys who were hunting us down, the same guys who were using you! That’s who Arkwright was selling to, not just some rich business men!” 

Both Harry and Daniella looked at Richard with an expression of horror. 

"Why did they bring us to the island?" Harry asked, "They clearly wanted us for something, but what?" 

"They wanted my expertise on wildlife," Richard responded, "They were using us to gather information on the hyenas. As for you? Well, you are one of the best hackers on the world, after all, so Arakan probably needed you to hack into the KTG database in order to gain access to the files," 

The car entered a large plane, which was filled with multiple cages, each of which held one hyena. The back door of the plane closed behind them, and the plane took off, leaving Harry, Richard and Daniella to wonder where they were going.

meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, a man stood in a shadowed room, watching the proceedings on a large array of monitors. 

"My plan is coming together nicely," the man chuckled to himself as a larger man walked up behind him, "Soon, I will get what I need!"


End file.
